Odor-proof container

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to an odourproof container comprising a lid in which an elastic seal is arranged. Said container is preferably used for food products, such that food can be stored in an odourproof manner but is also easily accessible. The lid can be rapidly removed form the container and replaced thereon.

The invention concerns an odor-proof container, especially for food, with a container cover, in which an elastic seal is arranged, having at least one sealing lip, which presses against the container wall laterally in the area of the container edge.

Such containers are known, in particular, in the food area, in order to store substances odor-proof, on the one hand, but, at the same time, have them readily accessible. The cover is therefore supposed to be quickly removable and positionable again.

Previous containers, like preserving jars with pressure seals, require fastening devices (for example, clamping hinges or tilting closures), which apply the necessary sealing pressure, but which generally can only be opened or closed with two hands. The pressure seals can also plastically deform with time and/or acquire cracks and therefore become untight.

Generic seals with sealing lips lying laterally against the container wall eliminate these problems and can be easily opened and closed again and normally do not lose their sealing effect even with frequent use.

In ordinary odor-proof containers, an air cushion lying in the space above the sealing lip(s) can be formed during the closure process, which creates a counterforce in the fashion of a pneumatic spring, which counteracts the closure movement and can lead to a situation in which the container cover is moved back a bit from the completely closed end position.

The task of the invention is therefore to eliminate the problems just outlined and provide an odor-proof container that is simple to open and close and does not spring-back during closure.

This task is solved according to the invention by the features in claim 1. Advantageous modifications of the invention are apparent from the dependent claims.

The feature combination according to the invention has the advantage that a sufficiently large air volume is created by the formed compensation space, so that the pressure above the sealing lip(s) hardly rises at all from the closure process and the undesired “spring effect” is absent.

Another advantage is that liquids that penetrate into the space behind the seal during the cleaning process (especially in a dishwasher) can flow out.

The feature of claim 3 permits a compact design and a simple production by means of injection molding.

The feature of claim 4 permits simple design of the passage and simplifies production of the seal.

The feature of claim 5 guarantees a rigid structure and prevents unduly large compliance of the seal during use.

The feature of claim 6 permits a structure that is simple in design and at the same time rigid.

The feature of claim 7, like claim 4, permits simple design of the passages and simplifies production of the seal. Another advantage, especially in combination with the feature of claim 8, is that the free edges of the support ribs act like sealing lips and, when deformed, can lie against the opposite wall and therefore fix the seal in an annular space.

The feature of claim 9 permits a compact and largely incompressible structure of the seal.

The feature of claim 10 permits a greater sealing and holding effect in comparison with an individual sealing lip.

The feature of claim 12 protects the partition from damage during incorrect positioning of the cover through the container edge.

The feature of claim 13 guarantees sufficient pressure compensation and sufficient outflow capability for water.

The invention is further explained below with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings:

FIG. 1: shows a schematic view of a container;

FIG. 2: shows a partial section of the container of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3: shows a perspective cutout view of a seal;

FIG. 4: shows a detail view of a support rib.

The container 10 depicted in FIGS. 1 to 4 includes a container 12 open on the top, as well as a cover 14 that can be mounted odor-proof on it.

A cutout of the container 10 is shown in FIG. 2. The wall 16 of the container 12 in the area of the upper edge 18 has a shoulder 20, on which the edge 22 of cover 14 fits. An inside wall 24 is also molded onto cover 12, which defines a continuous seal receiving space 28 between it and the cover wall 26, in which a seal 30 is inserted.

This seal includes a support wall 32, on whose lower end two sealing lips 34 are molded. These sealing lips 34 are configured, so that they lie sealed against the inside of the container edge 18. A partition 36 is molded onto support wall 32 above the sealing lips 34, which lies against the cover wall 26 on the inside. On the upper end of the support wall 32, an end wall 38 is molded.

Cross-like support ribs 40 extend between the partition 36 and end wall 38.

Regularly spaced trapezoidal recesses 42 are provided in the partition 36. In the same manner, recesses 44 are provided on the intersection points of the support ribs 40.

Because of these recesses 42 and 44, the spaces present between the partition 36 and the end wall 38, as well as the support ribs 40, are connected to each other, as well as to the exterior, and in this way form a compensation space 46, which takes up the displaced air volume when the cover 14 is pushed onto container 12. Water (for example, after a cleaning process) can also run out from the compensation space 46 via these recesses 42 and 44. 

1. Odor-proof container, especially for food, with a container cover (14), in which an elastic seal (30) is arranged, having at least one sealing lid (34), which presses laterally against the container wall (16) in the region of the container edge (18), characterized by the fact that the seal (30) includes a structure that forms a compensation space (46), which communicates with the internal space of container (10), and that the at least one sealing lid (34) is arranged beneath the compensation space (46).
 2. Container according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that it has an inside wall (24) in the container cover to form a seal receiving space (28), in which the seal is inserted.
 3. Container according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the seal (30) consists of a lateral support wall (32), from which the at least one sealing lip (34) is molded on from the bottom up and a partition (36) with at least one passage (42) is molded on above it, above which the compensation space (46) is formed.
 4. Container according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that the edge of the partition (36) has several recesses (42) to form the passages.
 5. Container according to claim 2, characterized by the fact that the compensation space (46) includes a structure of support ribs (40) that are molded onto support wall (32).
 6. Container according to claim 5, characterized by the fact that the support ribs (40) are arranged crosswise and lie against the container wall (26).
 7. Container according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that the edges of the support ribs (40) have recesses (44).
 8. Container according to claim 7, characterized by the fact that the recesses (44) are arranged in the support ribs (40) in the region of the intersection points.
 9. Container according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that an upper end wall (38) is arranged on seal (30) parallel to the partition (36), which is connected to support ribs (40).
 10. Container according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that two sealing lips (34) arranged one above the other are provided.
 11. Container according to claim 1, characterized by the fact that the seal consists of rubber or plastic.
 12. Container according to claim 3, characterized by the fact that a shoulder (48) is molded onto the end of the lateral support wall (32), which lies against the inside wall (24).
 13. Container according to claim 4, characterized by the fact that 10 to 30 recesses are distributed over the periphery roughly uniformly. 